Fodder-harvesting machine



(No Mmm.) 2 sheet-sneet 1. W. G. SMITH.

PODDER HARVESTING MACHINE. N0.539,091. Patented May 14, 1895.

TM5 cams Prvrzns co.. mow-umm. WASHIGYON. D. nA

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)`

v W. Gr. SMITH. FODDER HARVBSTING MACHINE.

Patented May 14 EEICE@ PATENT WILLIAM e. SMITH, or TEIBUNE, KANsAs.

FODDERl-HARVESTING MACH-INE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 539,091, dated May 14,1895.

Application filed March 3ll 1894.

To all whom it may concern.' Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. SMITH, acitizen of the United States, residing at Tribune, in the county ofGreeley and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Fodder-Harvesting Machine, of which the following is a specification. f Myinvention relates to harvesters,and particularly to machines for cuttingfodder, and it has for its objects to provide a simple, efficient, anddurable device for cutting the fodder and depositing it upon a tableprovided for the purpose, in convenient position for .tying in bundlesor stacking; and to'provide means for adjusting the several parts of themechanism to suit fodder of different heights.

Furtherobjects and advantages of the invention will appear in the'following description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. v

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a machine embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section. Fig. 3 is a planview with the platform partly broken away to show the subjacentmechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail View of the guiding- Vrolls andsupporting-bracket detached. Fig.

5 is a detail bottom plan view' of the guard which is carried by thecurved butt-guide and between which and the said guide the cutteroperates.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings. 'f

The framework of the improved harvester comprises theparallel side-beams1 which are connected by the front and rear cross-beams 2 and 3, anintermediate cross-beam 4 con-' necting the side-beams in rear of thefront beam, and an intermediate longitudinal beam 5 connectingintermediate points of the crossbeam 4 and the rear beam 3.

The main or drive shaft 6 is Ymounted in bearings in the side-beams andcarries the ground-wheels 7, and a sprocket-chain 8 connects the main ordrive-shaft to a countershaft -9 by meansv of the sprocket-wheels 10 and11, secured respectively to said shafts. A .truck 12, having thesupporting wheels 13, is pivctally connected to the center of the SerialNo. 505,942. (No model.)

bearing 16 in said bar is mounted the ini clined .cutter-spindle17carrying the annular rotary cutter or knife 18, which coacts withthecurved guide 19. The inclination of the cutter spindle causes the cutteror knife to decline toward its inner oroperating edge, and the curvedguideis arranged upon a similar inclination and has an upstanding flange20 which rises above the plane of the cutter or knife for a purpose tobe hereinafter explained.

The guide is preferably made of angle iron and it extends from a`pointvon the cutting side of the machine slightly in advance of thecutter or knife around to the upper or outer edge of the same, above thetable 21 which is provided for the reception of thef'odder. The frontend of the guide Visdeflected as shown at 22 to form a gathering-fingerand lin connection with the guide-block 23 which is attached to theadjacent side-beam vdirects the stalks to `the cutter or knife. Theguide is further provided upon its under side, at the point ofintersection yof the cutter or knife therewith, with a guard 24,-Whichpasses under and lies close to the under surface of the cutting edge ofthe cutter or knife, whereby the latterloperates between the under sideof the guide and the said guard, thus forming anforce-feedand/preventing the` deflection of thecutterk or knife at the ,operatingpoint. Guiderolls 25 mounted upon a bracket 26 are arranged in operativerelation with the outer edge'of the cutter or knifeiuadvance of theintersection of the latter-with the guide 19, to prevent deflection andvibration.

Carried bythe cutter or knife, and spaced above the same by theinterposed rim 27, isa peripherally toothed reel y28, the teeth of`which operate close to the plane of the upper edge of the flange 20 onthe curved guide and Serve to carry the buttsofthe stalks around to thetable after severance. The stalks rest uponand are supported by thecutter or knife, and are prevented from becoming displaced by saidflange on theguard. The tops of the IOO ' front end of said butt-guide19.

stalks are carried ata rate corresponding with theirlower ends bysuperjacent reels 29 which are fixed to the cutter-spindle. This spindleis preferably angular in cross-section above its bearing in the bar 15,and the cutter and reels are provided with angular bored hubs 3.0 whichfit the spindle and are locked in place by means of set-screws 31,whereby the upper-reels may be adj usted verticallyv upon the spindle tosuit the height of the fodder.

A top-guide 32 to coact with the upper reels is arranged above thebutt-guide 19 and corresponding with the latter in shape, and itcomprises, essentially, the curved rods 33 and 34, held in place attheir rear ends by the inclined braces 35 and provided at their frontends with eyes 36 which fit slidably and adjustably upon a standard 37rising from the These eyes are secured in the desired positions upon thestandard 37, to suit the adjustment of the topreels 29, by means ofset-screws 38, and the front ends of the guide rods are deflected, asshown at 39 to agree withthe deiection of the front end of thebutt-guide.

A series of curved or deflected detaching'- fingers 40 is arrangedadjacent to the table to guide the stalks outward from `the reels anddeposit them upon the table, the said fingers being arrangedrespectively between the planes of adjacent reels.

The cutter-spindle receives motion from the counter-shaft throughbevel-gears 41 and 42 secured respectively to the spindle and saidcounter-shaft.

This being the construction of the machine, the operation thereof is asfollows:

The cutter and reel carrying spindle is inclined laterally inward ortoward the crop in order to bring the operating portion of the edge ofthe cutter close `to the ground and enable the stalks to be carried toafable arranged in a plane above thefpoint ofA severance. A furtheradvantage in laterallyfinclining the cutter and reel spindle isthat thetop-reels are enabled to gather the spread tops ofthe stalks. Inaddition to this lateral inclination of the spindle l preferably give`ita forward inclination in orderthat the topreels i may engage the tops ofthe stalks before they are severed by the cutting mechanism, to insure aproper and effective engagement preparatory to carrying the stalks tothe table.

The cutting operation will be understood without further explanation,andafter the stalks are detached their butts rest upon the upper surfaceof the cutter, being held thereon by means of the curved butt-guide, andtheir tops are held in place by the top guides, while the reels carrythem aroundtto a point adjacent to the table. As the stalks approach thetable they are gradually pushed outward by the detaching fingers and aredropped in convenient position for manipulation .upon the table.

It will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of tlieinvention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination with asupporting framework having ground-wheels, of an upstanding spindle,connections between the ground-wheels and said spindle, a butt-guidehaving a curved or semi-circular portion arranged concentric with saidspindle, and a laterally deflected `front end arranged at an angle toone side of the framework to form a throat for the reception of stalks,a co-operating throat guide-block secured to the framework, a standardrising from the extremity of the laterally deflected front end of thebuttguide, afrotary cutter secured to said spindle contiguousto theplane of the under surface of sa'id butt-guide and cooperating therewithto sever the stalks, a fiangeon the inner edge of said `butt-guide, abutt-reel fixed to the spindle contiguous to the plane of the upper edgeof said flange and having a solid center and peripheralpoints 28 whichoperate close to the edge of said flange and extend thereover and4beyond the same, top-guides arranged above tlie ybutt-guide,corresponding in formtherewith,` and having curved portions arranged`concentric with the spindle, the front ends of saidtop-guides being detachably and adjustably connected to the standard rising from theextremity of the buttguide, top-reels fitted upon said spindle andhaving rotary arms which extend outward and overlap the concentricportions of the topguides, and means `for `adjusting said topreelsvertically upon-the spindle to agreemespectively,twith thetplanes of thetop-guides, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a framework having ground-wheels, of anupstanding spindle, connections between said spindle and theground-wheels, a butt-guide having curvedportions concentric with thespindle and having alaterally deflected frontend arranged at an anglewith the contiguous side of the framework to form althroat for thereception of the stalks, a cutter fixed to the spindle contiguous totheiplane of the under surface of the butt-guide and extending outwardbeyond the inner edge of said guide to co-operate `therewith `insevering the stalks, a guard secured to the under side of the butt-guideand extending under the contiguous portion of the cutting edge of thecutter to prevent downward displacement of the cutter at one side of thethroat, a bracket secured to the framework at the opposite side of thethroat and having anti-friction rolls which bearrespectively upon theupper and lower surfaces of the cutter, a flange at the inner edge ofthe butt-guide, a butt-reel fixed to thespindle contiguous to the planeof the upper edge of said ange and provided with radial peripl1- eralpoints which extend outward beyond the IOO IIO

y 539,091 v 1 i e flange, top-guides having curved portions army own Ihave hereto affixed my signature in ranged concentric with the spindle,and topthepresence of two Witnesses. f reels fixed to the Spindleapproximately in the planes," respectively, of said top-guides f WILLIAMG' SMITH' 5 and having arms extending 4outward beyond Witnesses: saidIguides, substantially as specified. ROBERT KING,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as v CURRAN H. ADAMS.

